Poetry Africa announces the South Africa Poetry Slam Champion on Instagram. 

AiW note: This post in the “Words on… Poetry Africa” Q&A series is brought to you in collaboration with the Poetry Africa festival 2023, and is with the Festival’s annual Slam Jam Competition winner, Lethu Nkwanyana.

Described on his Facebook bio (Lethu Nkwanyana Poet) as “a versatile Christian poet who uses both English and isiZulu to connect with his audience”, Lethu battled it out in the highly anticipated Slam Jam finals on Saturday night, 14th Oct, to be crowned South African Slam Champion 2023. He will be representing South Africa in the World Championships next year in Togo.

The 27th edition of the Festival for 2023 wrapped up yesterday on the 17th October – Bloemfontein, come through! – after a 12 day run, across three cities, on the theme VOTE4POETRY: MORE THAN WORDS. For the Slam Jam competition, poets were invited to submit an entry on the theme, free to interpret it broadly and with creativity, but in such a way as it engaged with matters of human rights, justice, equality & democracy.

AiW: Thanks very much for talking with us, Lethu. Welcome. Could we start things off by your telling us a bit about your involvement with the Festival this year?
Lethu Nkwanyana: Poetry Africa stands as one of the most prestigious global platforms for poets, a stage coveted by poets worldwide. I had the privilege to be a part of this remarkable event, competing as a slam poet against nine talented wordsmiths representing diverse provinces across our country. I’m delighted to share that I emerged victorious in the fiercely competitive 2023 Poetry Africa Slam Jam. 

Could you also let us in to a bit about your (other) work — your writing and/or any other kinds of work, roles, or the more general and different sorts of professional hats you wear?
I am orchestrating theatrical productions seamlessly interwoven with the art of poetry. My most recent creation, After Blinking, was showcased at Joburg Theatre in collaboration with Soetry Media and CSP. Fueled by my unwavering passion for knowledge dissemination, I am embarking on an educational journey with high schools, where I will facilitate Poetry Classes and Workshops.

In addition to my theatrical pursuits, I am concurrently involved in the creation of a poetry-focused short film, drawing upon my qualifications as an actor. My overarching objective is to elevate the world of poetry to unprecedented heights, transcending boundaries and redefining the artistic landscape.

What would you say is the best investment you’ve made in your professional self / selves, and/or the most valued advice you’ve received about navigating your industry (or industries)?
Despite limited funds, I’ve always aspired to be in the company of greatness. I’ve diligently saved up to attend live shows, booking flights and tickets, all in the pursuit of experiencing performances firsthand. I’m committed to studying the works of the finest poets because my ultimate goal is to stand among the best in this art. Attending all those shows, workshops and masterclasses were the biggest investment for me.

What’s the strangest, most significant – outrageous, even – thing you yourself have done, or would do, because of, or for a book (text / story / poem/ piece of writing)? Is there a serendipitous, interesting, perhaps even uncanny book / text related thing that’s happened to you? Perhaps a happy, weird accident that has occurred around books or writing that you can share with us?
When the Poets In Autumn tour (PIA), which is renowned as the world’s largest poetry tour, announced its arrival in South Africa, I reached out to them via their social media channels to inquire about the possibility of assisting with ticket sales. The reason behind this outreach was my keen desire to participate in the event, despite my initial inability to afford a ticket. I was determined not to miss out on this incredible opportunity. Interestingly, my proactive efforts led to an unexpected turn of events, as I eventually found myself on the stage as a performer at the event.

What are the most ethical and/or heart-lifting changes in practice in your working life that you’ve seen happening across your industry/industries recently? Is there anything you would like to see become more visible and celebrated going forward?
In recent years, there have been several positive shifts and changes in the South African poetry industry:

Diverse Voices: One heart-lifting change has been the increasing recognition of diverse voices and perspectives in South African poetry. Poets from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and experiences have gained more visibility and opportunities to share their work. This has contributed to a richer and more inclusive literary landscape.

Spoken Word and Performance Poetry: The rise of spoken word and performance poetry has brought poetry to a wider audience. Events like poetry slams and spoken word nights have become popular, providing poets with platforms to engage with live audiences and create powerful, memorable experiences.

Digital Platforms: The digital age has transformed how poetry is shared and consumed. Xabiso Villi The World Poetry Slam Champion Laureate is a great example on how he uses poetry with augmented reality. Social media, blogs, and online literary magazines have allowed poets to reach global audiences and gain recognition without the traditional gatekeepers. This democratization of poetry has been heartening for emerging poets.

Collaborative Projects: Many poets have embraced collaboration, working with musicians, visual artists, and other creatives to produce multidisciplinary art. This has expanded the horizons of what poetry can be and exposed poets to new creative avenues.

Looking ahead, it would be great to see the following aspects become more visible and celebrated within the South African poetry industry:

Sustainable Careers: Recognizing and supporting poets as professionals, with opportunities for stable income and long-term careers, is essential. This could involve more government funding, poetry competitions, and poet-in-residence programs.

Cultural Exchange: Encouraging cultural exchange and collaboration among South African poets and poets from around the world can bring fresh perspectives and enrich the local poetry scene.

Poetry in Education: Expanding poetry education in schools can nurture a new generation of poets and foster a deeper appreciation for the art form among young people.

Finally, how can our blog, books, and online communities best offer support for your work with African writing?
As the current South African Poetry Slam champion, I am honoured by your interest in supporting my work with African writing through your online communities. Your willingness to provide support is greatly appreciated, and I believe there are several ways in which your platform, and platforms like it, can be of assistance:

Features: Featuring poetry is an excellent way to introduce the writing to a wider audience. This exposure can help raise awareness of African voices in the literary world.

Promotion and Collaboration: Use your online communities to promote poetry and create opportunities for collaboration. This could involve interviews, joint projects, or even virtual poetry readings, which can help to expand the reach of African literature.

African Literary Initiatives: Consider using your platform to support and highlight other African literary initiatives, events, and organizations. By championing these causes, you contribute to the growth of African literature as a whole.

See Lethu’s winning slam at the Slam Jam last round this year on the link above.

And there’s more on this year’s Festival with online coverage and recorded sessions at www.youtube.com/centreforcreativearts – and check out Poetry Africa’s socials for clips, reels, the lot – the coverage is fab – and there’s the Poetry Africa website itself for more details too, including this year’s line up and programme – plus so much more: https://poetryafrica.ukzn.ac.za/.

We want to give our huge thanks to Lethu and the poets who’ve already shared their Words On… Poetry Africa 2023 with us, and to the ever vigorous and lively Poetry Africa for facilitating and sharing these poets’ words, so that we can share them with you. Pls share and share alike! And get in touch with any ideas of how we can put our platform into the service of sharing more widely, inspired by Lethu’s response to our last Q in the Words On… Q&A (and watch this space…).

Catch the 2023 Words On… Poetry Africa Q&As via our homepage, or see them all – including our previous Festival coverage – at this link – or click through via the taster excerpts below…

Our first Words on… Poetry Africa 2023 Q&A was with the Festival’s Featured Poet, Eugene Skeef.

“Each year Poetry Africa honours a leading South African poet who stands as a beacon to uphold South Africa’s Constitutional Democracy and whose voice is a reminder about the values in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
https://poetryafrica.ukzn.ac.za/about/featured-poets/

Next up, we were able to share Solly Ramatswi’s, aka Soetry, who performed in the Fest as one of The Four Horsemen, and who competed with Lethu in the Slam Jam competition finals on the 14th Oct:

“On the evening of the 6th, the Slam Jam semi-finals electrified audiences, with judges selecting the top 5 finalists who will go on to compete in Durban on Saturday, 14 October. The 2023 Slam Jam finalists are Katlego Mofokeng,  Lethu Nkwanyana, Natasha Mubanga, Olive Olusegun and Solly Ramatswi.”
(i-Support Creative Business, Press Release)

And Indigene GENE Corefio shared some details of her performance in the sell-out Poetry Africa event on the 7th October, the last night of the Johannesburg leg of this year’s Festival, before it moved down to UKZN at Durban, pre- the Bloemfontein run on the 16th-17th.

…AiW: What would you say is the best investment you’ve made in your professional self / selves, and/or the most valued advice you’ve received about navigating your industry (or industries)?
Eugene Skeef: The best investment I’ve made in my professional self is expressed through the braided strands of self-belief, respect for humanity and nature, and valuing the benefits of deep listening through creative immersion in the power of the arts as the root of social transformation.

AiW: What are the most ethical and/or heart-lifting changes in practice in your working life that you’ve seen happening across your industry/industries recently? Is there anything you would like to see become more visible and celebrated going forward?
Solly Ramatswi: There is a saying that it is a good time to be a poet. And indeed, it is really a good time to be a poet in the country right now as we can see with the changes that have been happening. Not only that, but we’re seeing people be more open to poetry, whether it’s in theatre spaces, whether it’s in advertising, marketing, copywriting… We find people being poets in those spaces, and being able to do that. We can mention Yamoria, Thuthukani Myeza, Jonathan Lefenya – that’s what I look up to.

Also, the fact that poetry is something that people think is worthy, especially the people who do it…

AiW: thank you for giving us your time for this Words On…Poetry Africa Q&A. Could you please tell us a bit about your involvement with the Festival this year to start us off?
GENE: My name is Indigene “Gene” Corefio and I performed a set of 3 poems [in] this year’s theme… looking at how poets advance values of constitutional democracy.

The poems I selected to share all related to |Xam and Khoe people who are currently erroneously classified as extinct in this country, our genocide, our historical exhibition in human zoos, and our resurgence as is seen in Khoisan Revivalism. South African first nation people, the |Xam and Khoe people, were massacred during colonization, then subsequently classified as “coloured” by the Apartheid regime, and as a result suffered the erasure of our identities, histories, languages, cultures and traditions, and the seizure of our land. The current political dispensation doesn’t recognize the human rights of |Xam and Khoe nations, and is considering making sign language a twelfth official language while our indigenous languages face extinction. We seek reparations. We seek redress. We seek the equality that is enshrined in our Constitution and in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. My poetry speaks about this historical dispossession, our remembrance of who we are, and the recreation of ourselves and our delightful future.

Poetry Africa is supported by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the National Arts Council of South Africa, the KZN Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the French Institute of South Africa and Total Energies. The festival is co-presented in Johannesburg with UJ Arts & Culture and in Bloemfontein with PACOFS. The 27-year-old festival in Durban cements the city’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature.

Categories: Conversations with - interview, dialogue, Q&A, Words on the Times...

Tags: activism, African literature, african poetry, Bloemfontein, Dr d’Abdon, Durban, Eugene Skeef, Indigene GENE Corefio, Johannesburg, Katie Reid, MORE THAN WORDS, Poetry, Poetry Africa, Rudy Francisco, Slam Jam 2023, Soetry Media, South Africa, South African Slam Champion, spoken word, Theatre, VOTE4POETRY